Violent Santa Barbara microburst injures teen

September 6, 2017

ASSOCIATED PRESS, BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA BARBARA — A teenage girl was badly injured during the Labor Day weekend in Santa Barbara by a dramatic microburst linked to remnants of former Tropical Storm Lidia flowing over Southern California.

KEYT-TV (http://bit.ly/2eII9yT) reports the 16-year-old was on West Beach when the violent wind hit Sunday afternoon, sending umbrellas, surfboards and small boats flying.

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Videos posted on social media show the storm arrive with gusts and pounding rain, and then the aftermath of shattered trees and local street flooding.

The National Weather Service says downslope winds had caused coastal areas to heat up considerably in the morning, and around 3 p.m. Santa Barbara Harbor reported an 80 mph (129 kph) gust.

The weather service says archived radar returns found a signature of the microburst "crashing towards the surface" around Santa Barbara.